In 2017, 172 workers were killed on the job in Pennsylvania,
according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That’s 3.0 fatalities per 100,000 workers, an increase from the previous
year’s rate of 2.8. Our Commonwealth
has dropped five places, from 10th to 15th in the
nation’s ranking of best to worst fatality rates. This is unacceptable.

Every Worker Has the
Right to a Safe Workplace

On April 28, 1971 the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration was formed. In the
decades since, April 28th has become Workers’ Memorial Day, a day of
remembrance for workers who have died on the job. The fight for workplace safety and health
protections for workers have been a cornerstone in the history of the labor
movement and workers’ rights.

The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO will hold a press conference, coinciding with the Harrisburg Regional CLC’s memorial service at the Susquehanna River on Monday, April 29, endorsing House Bill 1082, supporting the rights of all workers to safe workplaces and health protections. While OSHA guarantees protections for private sector workers, it does not extend those protections to public sector workers. More than 500,000 public sector workers in Pennsylvania lack safety and health protections on the job. House Bill 1082, also known as Jake’s Law, would grant OSHA style protections to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania workers, and save lives.

Pennsylvania unions believe that every worker, regardless of
their employer, has the right to a safe job.
While OSHA protects private sector brothers and sisters, workers
employed by the state, county or municipality lack the same protections.